10 Must-Try Kerala Cuisine Specialties That Will Transport Your Taste Buds to Paradise

 

Introduction:

Kerala, the “God’s Own Country,” is a tropical paradise that lures travelers not only for its picturesque backwaters, pristine beaches, and lush landscapes but also for its incredible cuisine. Kerala cuisine is known for its rich, diverse flavors and the unique blend of spices that define its cooking style. Whether you’re an avid food lover or a curious first-timer, Kerala’s food scene offers something for everyone. In this article, we’ll dive into 10 Kerala cuisine specialties that you simply cannot miss. Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure filled with flavor explosions, tangy coconut notes, and aromatic spices!

Sure! Here are the full recipes for all 10 Kerala cuisine specialties mentioned in the blog:

 

1. Kerala Sadya – A Feast on a Banana Leaf

Ingredients:

• For Rice: 2 cups steamed rice (plain)
• For Sambar:
  • 1 cup Toor dal (yellow lentils)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 drumstick (Moringa), chopped
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2-3 dry red chilies
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tsp jaggery (optional)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • Curry leaves
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)
• For Avial:
  • 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, potato, yam, pumpkin, raw banana)
  • 1/2 cup grated coconut
  • 1-2 green chilies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp yogurt (optional)
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • Curry leaves
  • Salt to taste
• For Olan:
  • 1 cup ash gourd (white pumpkin), chopped
  • 1/2 cup red beans (black-eyed beans), soaked overnight
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1-2 green chilies
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
• For Payasam (Dessert):
  • 1/4 cup rice or vermicelli
  • 1 cup jaggery or sugar
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Cardamom powder
  • Cashews and raisins for garnish

Instructions:

1. Prepare Rice: Cook rice and keep aside.
2. Sambar: Cook toor dal. Sauté mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves in coconut oil. Add chopped vegetables, turmeric, tamarind, jaggery, cooked dal, and water. Simmer. Add coconut milk if preferred.
3. Avial: Cook the mixed vegetables. Grind coconut, chilies, and cumin seeds to a paste and add it to the vegetables with yogurt.
4. Olan: Boil soaked beans and ash gourd. Add coconut milk, green chilies, and cook. Add salt and coconut oil.
5. Payasam: Boil water and jaggery, add rice/vermicelli. When soft, add coconut milk and cardamom. Garnish with cashews and raisins.
6. Serve: Serve each dish on a banana leaf along with rice. Enjoy!

 

2. Kerala Parotta – The Flaky, Layered Delight

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1/2 cup water (adjust as needed)
• Extra oil or ghee for frying

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and salt. Add oil, then gradually add water to form a smooth dough.
2. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough into small balls and roll each into a thin circle.
4. Brush with oil and fold into pleats, forming a ball. Rest for 10 minutes.
5. Roll into a thin flatbread.
6. Cook in a tawa or pan with oil/ghee until golden and crispy on both sides.
7. Serve hot with curry or stew.

 

3. Appam with Stew

Ingredients:

• For Appam:
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup cooked rice
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup warm water
• For Stew:
  • 1 lb chicken (cut into pieces)
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 green chilies, slit
  • 1-inch piece ginger, chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 1-2 cardamom pods
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • Curry leaves

Instructions:

1. For Appam: Grind rice and cooked rice into a smooth batter, add yeast and salt. Let ferment overnight.
2. Heat an appam pan and pour a ladle of batter. Swirl the pan to spread the batter into a thin layer. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. For Stew: Heat coconut oil, sauté onions, ginger, and spices. Add chicken, turmeric, and salt. Add coconut milk, simmer until chicken is cooked.
4. Serve the appam with stew on top.

 

4. Kerala Fish Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fish (kingfish or other firm fish)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 cup tamarind extract
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Instructions:

1. Heat oil, sauté mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, and onions until golden.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, and spices. Cook until oil separates.
3. Add tamarind extract, water, and bring to a boil. Add fish pieces and cook until tender.
4. Add coconut milk, simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with rice or Parotta.

 

5. Puttu and Kadala Curry

Ingredients:

• For Puttu:
  • 2 cups rice flour
  • 1/2 cup grated coconut
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Water (as needed)
• For Kadala Curry:
  • 1 cup black chickpeas (soaked overnight)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly grated coconut for garnish

Instructions:

1. For Puttu: Mix rice flour, coconut, and salt, gradually adding water to form a dough. Steam in a puttu maker for 10-15 minutes.
2. For Kadala Curry: Heat oil, sauté onions and curry leaves, add ginger-garlic paste, and cook. Add tomatoes and spices, then simmer. Add soaked chickpeas, cook for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with coconut.
3. Serve Kadala Curry with hot Puttu.

 

6. Kappa and Meen Curry

Ingredients:

• For Kappa:
  • 2 lbs tapioca (kappa), peeled and cut into pieces
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
• For Meen Curry:
  • 1 lb fish (kingfish or similar)
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2-3 green chilies, slit
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp red chili powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 cup tamarind extract
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions:

1. For Kappa: Boil tapioca pieces with salt in water for 20-25 minutes until soft. Drain and mash with coconut oil.
2. For Meen Curry: Heat oil, sauté onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and spices. Add tamarind, water, and fish. Cook until fish is tender.
3. Serve Kappa with Meen Curry.

 

7. Malabar Biryani

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 lb chicken or mutton, cut into pieces
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, slit
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/4 cup fried onions
• Salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken or mutton with yogurt, turmeric, garam masala, and salt for 30 minutes.
2. Cook rice with water, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Drain.
3. Sauté onions, green chilies, and ginger-garlic paste in ghee. Add tomatoes, and marinated meat. Cook until tender.
4. . Layer the rice and cooked meat in a pot, drizzle with ghee, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.
5. . Garnish with fried onions and serve.

 

8. Kerala Beef Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2-3 green chilies
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook beef with turmeric, salt, and water until tender.
2. In a pan, sauté onions, ginger-garlic paste, and green chilies in coconut oil. Add tomatoes, chili powder, garam masala.
3. Add cooked beef and stir-fry until it turns golden and crispy.
4. Garnish with curry leaves and serve.

 

9. Kerala Fish Moilee

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fish fillets
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Instructions:

1. Sauté onions, ginger-garlic paste, and tomatoes in coconut oil.
2. Add fish, turmeric, coriander powder, and salt. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add coconut milk and simmer.
4. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with rice.

 

10. Kerala Unniyappam

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup jaggery, grated
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 cup coconut pieces
• 1/4 cup ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp coconut oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Mix rice flour, jaggery, cardamom powder, banana, and coconut.
2. Add enough water to make a thick batter.
3. Heat oil in an appam pan, and drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil.
4. Fry until golden and crispy.
5. Serve hot.

FAQs About Kerala Cuisine Specialties

 

1. What makes Kerala cuisine unique?
   Kerala cuisine is distinct for its generous use of coconut, spices, and curry leaves. Fresh seafood, tropical fruits, and rice-based dishes play a significant role, while flavors are enhanced with ingredients like tamarind, cardamom, and black pepper, which are native to the region.
2. What are some must-try Kerala dishes?
   Signature dishes include:
   • Appam and Stew: A rice pancake paired with coconut milk-based curry.
   • Puttu and Kadala Curry: Steamed rice cakes served with black chickpea curry.
   • Karimeen Pollichathu: Pearl spot fish wrapped in banana leaves and grilled.
   • Sadhya: A traditional vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf.
3. Why is coconut such a vital ingredient in Kerala cuisine?
   Coconut trees are abundant in Kerala, and nearly every part of the tree is used in daily life. Coconut milk, grated coconut, and coconut oil are central to most dishes, lending a rich and authentic flavor.
4. What types of spices are commonly used in Kerala dishes?
   Kerala is known as the “Land of Spices” due to its historic spice trade. Common spices include black pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, and star anise. These spices give Kerala cuisine its depth and complexity.
5. Is Kerala cuisine suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
   Yes, Kerala cuisine offers a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options. Dishes like Sadhya, Thoran (stir-fried vegetables), Avial (mixed vegetable curry in coconut paste), and Kerala-style dal curry are flavorful and plant-based. Coconut milk and oil are often used instead of dairy, making many dishes naturally vegan-friendly.